Michele Whitney is a transformational leader with over 20 years of diverse experience in nonprofit, for-profit, and government settings. Over the past 12 years, she has coordinated and facilitated various health research programs and has a passion for research in creating knowledge as one path to guide social change. Currently, Michele is the Director of Operations for Quantitative Science with the Manne Research Institute at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. She is currently working on a Ph.D. in Human Services, where she plans to research the impact of pet loss through the lens of culture and ethnicity. As a south side Chicago native, Michele now resides in the Chicago suburbs and enjoys playing the flute and spending time with her two feline companions: Tina and Joe.